Making absurdity look beautiful and allowing fashion to be not just an experiment but also fun, Daniel Bosco and their surreal craftsmanship for garments are verified of the very versaceness.

So, Daniel can we commence by discussing your relationship with fashion first? How would you describe your first encounters, experimentations, and realizations?

I was surrounded by fashion growing up in Canada near Toronto. My dad’s side are multi-generational shoe importers; my mom had a very individual sense of style and we loved playing dress-up. My first encounters with the physical world of fashion were not the best honestly – I grew up kinda chubby, shopping was embarrassing, and I didn’t want to stand out. I think this is why I really rely on my designs now to make a statement – growing up I was happy to go unnoticed, but now I hate the idea of disappearing into a room.
It was really at Central Saint Martins where I let go and learned to experiment with taking up space and taking the piss out of myself. Now at Parsons Paris, I’m kind of honing in on the things I love – pop culture, surrealism, strange materials, partying, anything weird. People who get it, really get it and I’m loving finding others I can build a community around my work,

Your recent collection has touched an artistic twist, I believe it's the drag theme that does give many inspirations at large so how this pulled you to the particular concept and direction?

I’m always taking everything in – history, art, runway shows, beautiful things, ugly things. You’re right to say that the world of drag has totally influenced my work but for me, it’s more about the women who surround me – the women who are so eccentric, so fabulous, and so kitsch that they're like the ones who inspire drag. I’m always looking at my Italian immigrant grandparents – the way they moved over to Canada in the 70s from the south of Italy and basically never changed their way of life. Literally living Italian stereotypes. Pasta every night, homemade wine, plastic on the furniture, a huge garden, a horrifying meat cellar, what felt like a twenty-meter-long dining room table: everything was so theatrical and grande that it made every day feel spectacular. That’s the feeling I'm trying to recapture with my designs and communication. In my work you see the everyday blown out of proportion to make you nostalgic, make you laugh, to at least make you feel something.

The current times are the most exciting and comparatively easier ones because of social media platforms and global inclusivity. Would you tell us about your challenges on the contrary that you had to work through in the process?

I’d consider myself a very fluid designer – I love failures and mistakes because they often lead me to exciting outcomes. I knew using the face of an icon was a risk in my Donatella Dress because it could be difficult to realistically portray her in a way the world knows her. I spent so much time just researching Donatella’s hair from color to styles to textures. The biggest challenge was overcoming my own fear of creating something out of my comfort zone. As soon as I started toiling I was so reassured that the dress was going to be fabulous. Other pieces I’ve made like my window dress and Italian dinner dress have had their own obstacles in creation and conceptualization –but I love pulling tricks to make heavy objects look light, and defy gravity. It's hard because sometimes I just sit and design impossible pieces and then I’m like well shit how do I actually make this?

“The Donatella dress” Now everyone has begun to know of it. I'd like to know the whole story behind it. How the idea first came to your mind? did you know about the juries pre-hand? what went into the making of it and how was the after-party?

It actually started as a collaboration between Versace and Parsons Paris’ master in fashion design and art students. We were challenged to draw inspiration from the Versace archives and create a piece in our own style. We had the chance to visit the Versace private archives and manufacturing in Novara Italy – which is when we met Donatella for the first time for a briefing.
My inspiration came from the house of Versace as a maker of icons. I was pulling from the visual aesthetics of Warhol's face iconography, and pop art to decode what makes Versace so culturally iconic and recognizable. Donatella’s instantly recognizable blonde hair was an obvious choice but I also experimented with other Versace icons. I had a Deep v-neck 90s Madonna slip, a Naomi Campbell corset, and a curly redhead Linda Evangelista with a curler hair train gown.
We didn’t know we were presenting to Donatella herself throughout the project – we only received the news that a few of us were invited back to Milan to present the project to Donatella. Seeing the reaction from the Versace womenswear team was insane enough but presenting my Donatella to Donatella was over the top. I’m still smiling thinking about it – the fact that she found joy in a piece I made to celebrate her is a career milestone I'll never forget. As for the celebrations, there was no Donatella in attendance sadly but there were lots of drinks for sure.

Speaking of creative direction and process… Can you elaborate on your message and intentions with your work? What do you wish to put light upon and why?

I’m trying not to be serious about the things I create. I fully believe I was put on this earth to do nothing but play with my hands. I’m such a diva when it comes to creating – as opposed to my personal life where I’m sometimes too relaxed. My work is a celebration of life, community, and family. I can sometimes take an awkward subject like death or not fitting in and use humor to make it easier to talk about. I really just want people to enjoy what I make in the same way I enjoy making it. Hopefully, after seeing my work they may start to see the everyday differently or maybe it'll make it easier to laugh at themselves and not take life so seriously.

The fashion as art to wear with a fun aspect attached to it, also makes me think of it as the paradoxical reaction to the suffering of the world for a smooth sail. What is your personal intake?

Making things has always been my escape. Even when I was shit at construction and designing – creating was my time away from the real world. I fully live in my head in this fantasy world where nothing is ever serious. Anyone close to me knows it's tough to get me to be serious – I always wanna crack a joke, tell a story, or do anything to lighten the mood. I guess fashion has always been a way for me to deal with my issues without actually being verbal or too proactive about them. I could say humor in my work and in my life is how I deal with the trouble around me – humor is my own personal defense mechanism.

Is there anything that scares you about the future? Please name a few of your favorite music artists or movies that keep you aligned.

I think the thing that scares me the most is not having time to stop and really enjoy life. Getting old is scary, but it feels worse when you’re across the world from the ones you love. The fashion world moves so quickly and sometimes you don’t realize you’re missing out on the real world. I don’t want to live in a bubble; I want to experience everything with everyone, especially the people I care about.
Right now I’m totally missing Canada and have been in my major throwback Canadian music era. Nelly Furtado, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, and Carly Rae Jepson – all make me feel at home and comfy during late nights in the studio or during exhausting days. To keep me inspired I love listening to Bjork though – her new podcast is so addicting and I can’t wait for her new album.

Last but not least. If the lemon popsicles are melting cause of global warming... would you die drinking mojito or martini?

Global warming scares the shit out of me! If the world is ending, there is no chance I’m going out without a big espresso martini in my hand.